Thursday, December 31, 2015

"I went skydivingI went Rocky Mountain climbingI went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FumanchuAnd I loved deeperAnd I spoke sweeterAnd I gave forgiveness I'd been denying"And he said"Someday I hope you get the chanceTo live like you were dying"-Tim McGrawWhen the song "Live Like You Were Dying" came out a few years ago I immediatly ran out and bought the single. I swear I listened to it over and over again until I knew every word by heart. With each word I would think of my sweet Daddy who was taken much too soon by Leukemia. As I write this I am listening to this beautiful song once again and thinking about my life...wanting to make such a beautiful impact on my world in 2016. So many Big Dreams for myself this year.I am IN LOVE with my Word this year....CONNECTtojoin,link,orfastentogether;uniteorbind: Informal.torelatetoorbeinharmonywithanotherperson,one'swork,etc.I want to CONNECT myself to my HEART (and we are working on that through this challenge)....my BODY...my GOD. I look forward to making CONNECTions with many of YOU through our Mind.Body.Soul FaceBook group.

Today's Lesson

I want you to think about your life...all of it. From the time you were a little girl to now. What have you accomplished? Where have you been? Where do you want to go next?

Remember in the movie The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson when they are both dying of cancer and they decide to start making out a Bucket List? I LOVE that movie!! And I bet YOU have thought about your OWN Bucket List, right? Take the next few days and answer this question...If you had 6 months to live...what would be on your Bucket List?

Here are a few things on mine...Take my family to Normandy France to see Omaha BeachThrow a huge outdoor party for friends and familyEmma and I go on an art retreatTake Jacks to the Harry Potter Theme Park Write down as many memories as possibleThere are 30 in all.And that's how many things I want YOU to write down, too.

Like tomorrow was a giftAnd you've got eternityTo think aboutWhat you'd do with itWhat could you do with itWhat did I do with it?What would I do with it?-Tim McGraw

Monday, December 28, 2015

“The chief beauty about timeis that you cannot waste it in advance.The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you,as perfect, as unspoiled,as if you had never wasted or misapplieda single moment in all your life.You can turn over a new leaf every hourif you choose.” ― Arnold Bennett

I absolutely LOVE new beginnings. Mondays, the start of a new month...there is something about a FRESH start that fires me up. And this Friday is the beginning of a whole new YEAR! And not just any year, mind you.

I

turn

FIFTY

in

2016!!

So I MUST do something BIG, right? Follow my Heart! Reach my Goals! Live like there is no tomorrow!

For the past ten years or so I have chosen ONE WORD to act as my Guide throughout the year...a compass to keep me on track and remind me of where I want to go. Some of my past have Words have been...

Possibilities

Reinvent

Story

True

Move

My Word last year was COMMIT. My intention with that Word was to actually STAY committed to my weight loss goals, art goals and house goals. What ended up happening was unexpected but in the very best way possible!! Even though my weight is still on (ugh, I have gained, too) and my house isn't anywhere NEAR organized (although I DID clear out quite a bit) and I never got around to sending in that album I created for Somerset Studios (THIS YEAR!) what I DID Commit to and STICK with was finding the very best place for my girl. Anasazi proved to be the guiding force in our life that has healed us and made us whole again. My girl has PEACE in her Heart and plans for an outstanding future!!

My Word for 2016

This year I thought long and hard about my Word and was CERTAIN I had it picked out! The Word JOY kept coming up...actually it has come up throughout 2015 and has become my secondary Word this year!! I have tried to implement JOY in my Heart daily (not always succeeding!) so I thought I would just extend JOY into 2016.

But

then

as

ALWAYS

happens...

I decided to brainstorm Word ideas cause the more I thought about JOY the more I wanted to be SURE. I take this One Word thing VERY seriously! So I created a list of Words...

Consistent

Heart

Receive (I ALMOST chose this one)

Joy

Alive

Connected

Awake

Present

Open

Perservere

And then it HIT me!!

What do I want this year?

More friendships

Closer to my husband

Really listening to my Heart when it comes to my Art

Closer to my Mama

More writing

Etc....

I want CONNECTIONS...

to my Heart

my Art

Friends

Dave

Mama

My Word for 2016 is

CONNECT

I have let that sit with me for a week now and the more I think about it the more excited I get!!

YOUR Challenge this week

If you haven't all ready...take out your journals and start listing Words that resonate with you. Think about what you want MORE of. Go back to your collages from a few weeks ago and LOOK at what you gathered on your page...here was mine again...

By the end of the week try to have your 2016 Word picked out and ready to create with!!

And remember to join me here Thursday for our second Challenge of the week.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

The most exhausting thing you can do is to be inauthentic. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh

My Life Lately

The closer we get to Christmas the crazier my life is becoming. The world is spinning and spinning and me right along with it. Between my kid's oral surgeries a few weeks ago, a bout of strep, a specialist visit for my daughter (she has serious tummy issues), an unplanned trip to St. Louis (in like an hour), another surgery this Tuesday (very minor but still)...good grief there is NO time for anything. Oh and THEN on the 23rd we leave for Omaha for two days then back by Christmas to spend with my Mama. The 27th is my son's 21st Birthday then he is BEST MAN is his BEST FRIENDS wedding January 2nd...and of course we are going to that, too and it's several hours away.

WHEW!!!! I am worn out just thinking about it all.

But you know what is keeping me sane in all of it? My family. My art. My Savior Jesus Christ. I am so blessed and GRATEFUL for living my life!!! Thought I would share a few projects I have been enjoying in between our hectic lives...

I started keeping a planner last summer and LOVE it!! I have ALWAYS had a planner and loved it but had not jumped into the planner craze until I found this Happy Planner from Me and My Big Ideas. It's a weekly ritual and one I look forward to!! I use my planner mostly for memory keeping.

In October my family gave me a Bible Journal and after being scared half out of my wits to try it I finally got around to it!! This is my second page...

What Bible Journaling does for me is allows me to take a COMPLETE quiet break from the crazies and just submerse myself in His Word. I LOVE it and look forward to this time with the Lord in 2016.

My studio is a MESS...

...and this is just one small part of it. You do NOT want to see the rest of it...lol. Stuff is everywhere!!! But I am creating and that's what is important!! Making time for ART is time well spent, girls!!!! Just get in your studios, on the kitchen tables, in your bedrooms...wherever you create and do it!!!:)

Today's Challenge

So today I want you to take all those words and quotes and whatever else you may have found while looking at magazines and books and put them into an ABUNDANCE COLLAGE. What do you want MORE of in YOUR life? What good, amazing, beautiful things do you want to FILL up your Heart with??

I love my collage!! Especially the picture of the younger woman with the older woman. It reminds me of the ME I want to ALWAYS be and the ME I could turn into (or DO turn into) when I am not living Authentically and listening to my Heart.

Girls...I wanted to share the rest of the Path of Water with you but time has gotten away from me. I need to shower then we leave for St. Louis. It's a 6 hour trip one way and we are making it QUICK. Coming back later tonight!!

Monday, December 14, 2015

"There was no abundance in my Soul because my well had run dry." -Good Buffalo Eagle, The Seven Paths

Girls, my Heart is so FULL seeing all of you participating and sharing your journeys with me!!! THANK YOU so very much!!!

Week Three is here!

This week we are on the Path of Water. What in the heck does water have to do with our hearts?? PLENTY:) The following is an excerpt from The Seven Paths...

"Think about water for a moment. Have you ever considered all it does for us? I have learned to walk near water, for beside it the earth springs forth to provide shade and refreshment. I bathe in water, for it cleanses and invigorates the skin. When traveling in dry places, I pack up water to take on my journey. I have learned from dry journeys that deserts can be weathered only by those who are sustained by deep waters. I know the feeling of walking too long without water. I have felt the thirsty fingers of death constricting around my soul. As is common with so much in life, I failed to understand how much I needed water until I was without it."

Think to a time when you were so happy and on top of the world you thought NOTHING could bring you down. There were no worries, no stress, no real struggles that were placed on your Heart. Life was goooooodddddd.

Until it wasn't.

Bills needed to be paid, there was an illness in the family, a death, a lost job, a messy house to clean, children to take care of, an accident, a loss of friendship....whatever the stress was...it weighed so heavy on your Heart. And life was HARD. So hard and unfair. Your thirst for happiness was undeniable but it seemed out of reach. There was a real drought in your Heart.

That's exactly where I was for years. My Heart was crying out for something to change it...I knew it had become so parched I was scared it was just withering away...and just like the quote I started this post out with...my well had run dry.

Today's Challenge

Our Challenge today is quite fun and relaxing and will continue to help us with our projects in the coming weeks. I hope you enjoy it!

I want you to get cozy in your bed, the couch, your studio...wherever you feel comfy and start flipping through magazines, old books, junk mail, etc and find WORDS and phrases that speak to you and cut them out. These are just a small sample of words I have found in various places.

99% of the time I don't know how or where I am going to use them...I just know they speak to me and make me think. Many times they motivate and inspire me.

As you search for these words and phrases I want you to let your mind wander. Think about what's causing a drought in your Soul. What do you need MORE of?

Why not create your own words and phrases for your projects? This is so simple and costs pennies!

These are Word sheets I created on my MAC using words that inspire and touch my Heart.

I keep word sheets on hand all the time!

Be sure and use various fonts and sizes when making your sheets...so FUN!

I use a gallon size Zip-loc bag to keep my cut-out words in...it's so inspiring when you have a full bag to sift through when working on projects!!

Girls, I LOVE that you are here!! Join me Thursday for our next Challenge and find out how Water is not only for refreshing our bodies but healing our Hearts.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

"One way or another we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life and dedicate ourselves to that." -Joseph Campbell

It's Week Two of our "Journey to the Heart" Challenge. It warms MY Heart to see so many of you sharing in our FB community!! I want to shay THANK YOU for watching my first video...not sure it was the best way to present Monday's Challenge...but I enjoyed sharing it with you!! Thanks for the feedback, too.:)

In case you didn't want to take 23 minutes to watch it (it's ok if you didn't) I am sharing photos of my Truth Cards and Beautiful Moment Cards...

An example of a Truth Card...remember this is just a simple 4x6 index card cut in half and decorated.

TRUTH CARDS

Another one only this time using a manila tag from Ranger...

BEAUTIFUL MOMENT CARDS

My Beautiful Moment Cards are all on Project Life Cards...you can purchase a pack of 50 for less than 5 bucks at most craft stores.

Here is the back of one of my cards...

And now the front...using alphabet stamps...

And now using my own handwriting...

More decorated Beautiful Moment Cards...

ANGER IS A WHAT?

If you take a good long look at what's in your heart and try to assess why it's so hard to hear it (because let's face it...many times it's EXTREMELY hard to hear anything good coming from it) I am going to say it's because you are holding on so tight to anger and bitterness. And when we REALLY stop to think about anger and bitterness...it's truly just a secondary emotion.

Yep.

You heard me...

ANGER IS A SECONDARY EMOTION.

I truly understood this just a few short months ago from our amazing Shadow (counselor) from Anasazi...Sulay. Did I say she was AMAZING? Oh my I could write a whole, big, long blog post about her!!

Anyways...Sulay was the one who introduced me to this idea of anger being a secondary emotion. Think back to a time when you were MAD. Now forget the anger and start listing what you were TRULY feeling...Let me give you an example...

For years I had been so angry at a loved one in my life for their poor (possibly dangerous) behavior. When I truly began looking at my anger towards this person and started listing what I was feeling besides anger it looked like this...

*fear

*resentment

*disappointment

*tired

*embarrassed

*hopeless

*drained

*worried

And ALL those feelings...those were just things I DIDN'T want to feel so I just felt ANGER...it was easier to express that. I mean who honestly wants to feel hopeless? For me that meant long bouts of crying and I didn't want that. I HID behind my ANGER. Which, in turn, hardened my Heart so I couldn't hear it anymore. I didn't want to. Hearing meant feeling.

It's time to recognize that anger in your hearts...see it for what it REALLY is and start letting go....

TODAYS CHALLENGE

Create an art journal page about Letting Go of your anger...your fears...all the stuff that's holding you back from HEARING YOUR HEART. Make a list, write a journal entry...get it ALL out so you can MOVE FORWARD!!

Thursday, December 3, 2015

"Begin where you are..work where you are...the hour which you are now wasting, dreaming of some far off success may be crowded with grand possibilities." -Orison Swett Marden

I have so LOVED seeing all your art work this week with our first challenge!! Each of you has had a unique spin on the challenge and I am so inspired!!

More of the Story

As my life continued to get messier, the challenges bearing down hard on me...I withdrew not only from my family and friends but myself. I ceased seeing anything good in myself. Whatever Light I had...was gone.

In my last post I shared the following from Anasazi...

"We who lose the light within have lost our way....Does YOUR Heart Walk FORWARD in the Light?"

I had lost my way. And friends let me tell you...as I am sure most of you have experienced or are in the midst of experiencing right now...once we lose our way...it's nearly impossible to see the Light...agreed?

Think back to a time sweet girls when your Soul felt Light. During those dark years I would go back to the moment my children were born...the day I married my sweet husband or Holiday memories from my childhood. I had to be reminded of what Light even looked like!

"As great as is the Light above us, greater by far is the Light within. The outward Light is but a reflection of the inner." -The Seven Paths

Today's Challenge

Grab a piece of paper and start listing 50 things you LOVE about YOU.

Yes I said 50.

I know that may seem like too much. After all if you are right in the middle of darkness...it's so very hard to see the Light. But believe me as you start thinking about what you really LOVE about yourself and WRITE THEM DOWN...more will come. The longer your list goes...the more Light will be let in.

After you have your list (if you write down more than 50...use them, too!! You ROCK!!) take out your art journal and begin creating a page with your list. Here is my page...

In my typical fashion I had to use a girl that represents me...I chose a hippie girl from Woodstock:). Instead of journaling directly on the page I took 5 journal cards and randomly added my "Likes".

Some of the things on my list include...

My eyes
Optimistic
I admit when I 'm wrong
I love to decorate to make my home cozy
I give good hugs
Always choose JOY
My love of all things retro

Monday, November 30, 2015

The most beautiful thing in the world is a heart that is changing. -Lara Ackerman, TrailWalker at Anasazi Foundation

Today's the day!! Welcome to my 7 week class "Journey to the Heart". I am so grateful you are here to take this heart-changing journey with me. I have been working on my own heart for the past ten months and as a result have seen amazing changes and growth in my life. It hasn't been easy and I have had to face some pretty harsh realities about myself...but it has ALL been worth it a million and one percent!!!

MY JOURNEY

This post will be longer than normal...it's important before we begin that you understand a little bit of where I am coming FROM. Throughout my journey I have posted dozens of blog posts here...truly pouring my heart out in hopes of healing it. I encourage you to read each one so you can get a sense of my past struggles.

*Please note that out of respect for the most important people in my life I am not sharing names or some of the actual events that took place.

The above posts give a very good outline of the sorrow, the struggles and the stress I was under for nearly 3 years. Looking back on it our lives got even worse. We came within days of losing our home, people closest to me were going through monumental heartache and pain...which affected me...keeping me up most nights and living in a constant state of turmoil. My Mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer, my father-in-law with Stage Four Pancreatic Cancer (we buried him less than a year later...my Mom is cancer free and on the mend). Still with all that was going on in our lives...we weren't asking for help. Honestly we just didn't know where to go but prayer. I can tell you that if it were not for my faith in God...I would not have made it through. I would have given up right out of the chutes and just shriveled up. It was during my most fervent prayers when my Heart would open a tiny bit allowing light to shine in. Still it wasn't enough to heal my heart. The best way I can describe it was...black. My heart was dying and turning black. (that's really hard for me to write, especially where I am today)

The turning point for me...for our family...came at the LOWEST point I have ever been in my ENTIRE life...EVER. It's a story I won't share here...but it is one that broke our hearts beyond repair (or so we thought).

It's funny how life goes...most times it's when our lives are at the lowest, the absolute rock-bottom...that's when we finally start asking for help.

We travel only as far and as high as our Hearts will take us. -Good Buffalo Eagle from the book The Seven Paths

Over the next 7 weeks I will be sharing the principles of Anasazi along with other books, quotes and exercises that have changed my heart from a Heart of War to a Heart of Peace. I will be sharing MY STORY...every bit of it. Please understand I am not a licensed counselor but I am someone that has lived with struggle, heartache and pain like I know so many of you do. I am a HUGE believer in ART healing the Soul. I am so EXCITED to have you join me on this quest for Joy and Peace in our Hearts!!!

Take time this week to gather your supplies. You won't need to buy a thing (unless you want to). I am using a journal that is nearly half-filled with other pages...

I bought this one at Wal-Mart for less than ten bucks. I usually gesso the pages to make them stronger as I love to use lots of texture on most of my pages:) But a Dylusions journal will work...any journal! Heck you can even use a plain old notebook! Just be sure and gesso each page to make them sturdier!!

Each Monday and Thursday I will be posting a blog post here along with a project. The link will always be on my Facebook page Mind.Body.Soul . If you haven't joined my page yet just send me a request so I can add you to the list. I encourage you to share your work with us (if you feel comfortable) in our group. We are a very supportive group of women!!

Today's Project

In the Seven Paths book used by Anasazi seven sacred gifts given to us by our Creator are highlighted. They are...

Light
Wind
Water
Stone
Plants
Animals
We

It's how we WALK with this elements that determines whether or not we have a Heart of Peace or a Heart of War. The Path of Light is our focus this week and challenges us to think about what's Truly in our Hearts...deep down, under all the muck. Some tips to ponder this week on your journey...

*Light chases away darkness (think of the Sun and how it illuminates our beautiful Earth)
*Do you and I allow light to chase darkness from our SOULS as well?
*Darkness WITHIN clouds the world WITHOUT
*We who lose the light within have lost our way.

As you gather images and text be sure and surround yourself with inspiration...for me that looks like my studio, a fave candle burning and Christmas music. Do what inspires YOU:) As you cut out each element let your mind wander...this is an intuitive exercise...don't put a lot of thought into what you cut and paste onto your page. Your Heart knows.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Begin today. Declare out loud to the universe that you are willing to let go of struggle and eager to learn through joy.-Sarah Ban Breathnach

Has is it really been since July that I last wrote a blog post?? That's the longest time EVER! But life got REAL busy and I was just living life...trying to be present with my family. And even though that was the very best way to be...I have missed writing. So.Very.Much.And I don't mean just fluffy writing...I mean real, heart-searching, deep thinking, writing. In my 30's I was blessed to write a weekly column for our local newspaper..."View From the Front Porch". What a gift it was to share my heart every week for five years. Not only was I able to encourage others but I was encouraged, uplifted and inspired every single week. And I can tell you there were MANY weeks when I had NO clue what the heck I was going to write about until the last hour before deadline...it was during those times, however when my mind expanded and my writing skills improved. I am actually feeling a bit rusty today as I type this on my MAC. My goal is to fix that and begin looking at my life through a writer's lens again. My heart is singing!Speaking of Heart...I hope YOU will join me for my latest art journaling class..."Journey to the Heart" from November 30th-January 17th. The course is filled with seven weeks of projects, prompts and inspiration to loving yourself again. Each Monday I will share one project with you...anything from creating a small canvas to collaging what Spirit means to us. On Thursdays you will be prompted to explore your hearts in your art journals in unique and meaningful ways. The goal of this course is to help you recognize what's in your heart and gently help you Walk Forward in Love and Gratitude.

As always this course is free.

Click on this link to join my Facebook group...Mind.Body.Soul for the projects, prompts and to share your own art with us!

Please share with your friends and FB groups!! See you November 30th!!

Monday, July 27, 2015

"Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order." -Anne Wilson Schaef

An interesting discussion has been on-going in my Facebook group Mind.Body.Soul. It started out with this quote...

Our theme for July has been Freedom...freeing ourselves from addictions, negative self-talk, etc. When I posted this the other day I didn't realize how much it would resonate with so many of you.

I am a people pleaser...no doubt about that. I try to please my kids, my husband, my Mom, my friends, complete strangers...you get the idea. I never want to step on anyone's toes or make them feel bad...even though I can be shriveling up and dying inside. From most of the comments it seems like many of you feel the same way.

AS a child I LOVED to create!! I colored everyday. It made me so happy!! I looked forward to art class in school and even though I wasn't very good at drawing...I loved the paint and getting messy part! All that changed one day in 8th grade though. Our lesson was to draw a self-portrait. This made me so nervous...I knew drawing just wasn't my thing...but I gave it my best shot, even adding details of my heart shaped locket I wore nearly everyday. And then....it happened. My art teacher was walking around the room, assessing our work. Nervously I showed her my drawing. She looked at it, eyes squinting, mouth turned down she spoke five words I that would live with me for the next 35 years...."YOU ARE NOT AN ARTIST!"

Then she walked off.

That one comment convinced me that I was not creative.

It would be over 30 years before I attempted any kind of creating again.

"Inside you there's an artist you don't know about...Say YES quickly, if you know, if you've known it from before the beginning of the universe." -Jalai Ud-Din Rumi

One of my early pages...I have learned so much since then!

My journey to art journaling and mixed-media art began about 6 years ago. Prior to that I was a scrapbooker and LOVED the creative outlet it gave me. Scrapbooking helped me realize that art took on many forms.

A Brave Art piece from nearly 5 years ago

The more I collaged images and words and put paint on paper the more I knew I had found something I really loved!

An early piece using a notecard and a butterfly punch

Quickly my journals were filling up and I was selling my canvas's in local craft fairs.

Still a favorite journal page of mine

I found the BRILLIANT Melody Ross during my scrapbooking days and was OVERJOYED when she began Brave Girls Club. It was her class "Soul Restoration" that really spoke to my heart and made me realize that maybe...just maybe I was an artist.

A page from a Brave Girl's Class I took

Through her soul-searching classes and amazing mixed-media techniques I began experimenting with texture and paint like never before...

Another BGC inspired page

A WHOLE NEW world had opened up for me!!!

"Perhaps loving something is the only starting place there is for making your life your own." -Alice Koller

Art has saved me.

Art journaling has made me realize that I AM an artist.

YOU are an artist.

WE are ALL artists.

The more you create...the more creative you become...there is not a truer statement out there! It's by trial and error my art has ME written all over!

A recent page...one of my faves!

When I finally just let go and put what speaks to me on my pages...ME shines through every single time.

a page from my faith journal

I discovered early on that vintage images spoke to me. I use "my girls" on almost every piece of art I create!

I ADORE them!!

A canvas from ArtBeach 2014

I used to compare my art to EVERYONE. Social media can be such a blessing but also such a curse! With everyone posting their work...it's easy for us to compare ourselves to one another.

Please STOP THAT!

Comparing does nothing but damage our hearts...our spirits.BE YOU!

Experiment with paint and stencils and glue and images and words.

What speaks to you may not be what inspires me....

and that's ok!

I love using old maps and quotes in my work

Surround yourself with your favorite colors, quotes, magazine clippings, art...whatever inspires YOU. Take 10 minutes a day to create. Even if all you are doing is looking at a favorite art blog or magazine...all those things add up and will help you on your artistic journey.

Houses and hearts show up in my art a lot, too:)

"Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live." -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

My favorite canvas

I encourage you to CREATE! Stop making excuses. Stop telling yourself that you can't create beautiful things. Take TODAY, make a list of all the whispers in your Heart.Listen to them.

Monday, July 13, 2015

We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” ~John Lennon

Today I decided to start living them.
To EMBRACE each day as is.
Even if I AM running from here
to
there
for everyone
but
me.

I decided TODAY
to EMBRACE the time I
DO have
and
give
my
all
to my
dreams.

To celebrate my Awakening Today I am issuing a CHALLENGE to YOU. This month on my FB group Mind.Body.Soul we are celebrating FREEDOM...Freedom from our addictions, our abusive words, behaviors, toxic people, etc. To go along with this months Challenge (and the months ahead) I encourage YOU to start EMBRACING your day and SHARING it with me on Instagram. You can follow me at @scrapwordsgirl and use the hashtag #embraceyourday15 . Feel free to share in our Facebook group as well!!

Anything YOU do to take control of YOUR day that's POSITIVE and says..."Today I WILL take charge of my time no matter what and EMBRACE my day!!!" Snap a photo and post away!! Be sure and tag me @scrapwordsgirl and use the hashtag #embraceyourday15.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

“The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.” ― J.M. Barrie, The Little Minister

It's been so very long (over a month) since I last blogged! YIKES! All is good though...I mean after all I was in FRANCE:) What a WONDERFUL Mother/Daughter trip it was...just everything I had hoped for. We are so blessed!

We had been up nearly 24 hours here...I was soooo exhausted but LOVING every minute of it!

You can tell I am rested here...lol This is a beautiful castle somewhere in the French countryside. We saw so many I can't remember all their names!

It's been nice easing myself back into life. I say easing because two after we made it home from France we went to Minnesota fishing for a week with the family and finished the month with three day trips to Kansas City. Whew! It's GOOD to be HOME and back in the groove of painting, cutting and gluing in my art journal and on canvas.

Today I want to share an obsession I have had since high school...planning! Oh how HAPPY I have been with all the planning craziness that's been on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and blogs. Have you seen all the gorgeous planners and stickers and dashboards and lists and classes and more that are out there nowadays??!

Throughout my life I have had cheap old Wal-Mart planners, very expensive Franklin Covey planners and everything in between. I have had planners for working out, goals, keeping memories and planning my day to day activities. As of TODAY I have one of the latest spiral bound planners from Me and My Big Ideas...

I found it at Hobby Lobby and LOVE it!! Along with the planner I purchased these super fun and colorful accessories...

Inspiration cards that I placed throughout my planner to brighten my day and inspire me. I put this one on the first page as a beautiful daily reminder.

These DARLING puffy stickers...they are teeny tiny and I adore them:)

I can't wait to use these little beauties...

Now I don't think it will be so hard to get things done and schedule appointments with these To Do stickers...

There are envelopes, sticky notes and so many other very important planner goodies to purchase...I look forward to more shopping in the coming weeks! I mean who doesn't right??

Here is what I have done so far...

What's so awesome about this planner is the calendar pages for each month. It's nice to see what my commitments are so I don't double book or forget.

I don't have a lot going on in July so for now it's pretty bare (knowing me that will change pretty quick!)

Following the calendar pages are 8-10 pages for each week. I really love how they they break the days down into three parts...Morning, Afternoon and Evening.

Really digging that quote on the lower right side, too. EVERY page has a different quote! NICE!

Here is what I did with this week so far...a bit of Washi Tape, painted notebook paper, my favorite vintage girl image of the moment and a few other treasures. I am REALLY going to LOVE this!!

Have you checked out my Facebook Group Mind.Body.Soul? This month join our "Let Freedom Ring" art journaling challenge to FREE yourself from negativity, bad self image, mean people...whatever is holding you down! We would LOVE to have you!!!

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“A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was good to awaken to. And there were no limits to anything. And the people of the world were good and handsome. And I was not afraid any more.” ― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Taught here October 2014 & 2015

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MOVE

“Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.” -The Hobbit